Sewage Soup

The Science department were incredibly fortunate to be able to welcome Richard Park from Anglia Water into school. Richard came to provide sessions on ‘Sewer wise-Making Sewage Soup’ to students in Years 4-6. The aim of the sessions was to introduce our students to the importance of looking after the sewers that we rely on, linking science to the maintaining of a clean water environment and of course making our very own sewage soup!

The excitement was off the scale and students were beyond eager to begin putting together their ingredients to make a dirty, smelly concoction which included; baby wipes, cotton buds, teabags, fat, wee and of course, poo. It was these latter two which caused the most hilarity. Whether it was making use of the provided Wee chart to check how hydrated you were throughout the day or the making of poo cakes which could then be sold onto farmers to fertilize their fields. This cyclic process both amazed and revolted in equal measures, to think that some of the food we eat is grown using material that has already passed through our bodies!

Richard then astounded us with tales of items found in sewage treatment plants across the Anglia Water area. Whether it was false teeth (many a pair), a bowling ball, false legs or a puppy (fortunately alive) the disbelief, shock and sometimes awe on the students’ faces was priceless! The session also highlighted the importance of the part we all have to play in maintaining both our sewer systems and the wider environment. The take home message is that we most definitely do have the power to affect change as individuals, whether it is changing our purchasing habits (yes, the simple switch of plastic to paper based cotton buds has forced manufacturers to re-evaluate policy) or becoming involved in community projects like the Great British Beach Clean. We all
have a part to play and can indeed be the catalyst for transformation.